2020, VOL. 6 ISSUE 1, PART D
Abstract:Background: High blood pressure has become a serious public health challenge and further inclining the risk of atherosclerosis, ventricular hypertrophy and carotid intimal medial thickness. Hypertension during childhood and adolescence can be progressive into adulthood and is the strongest evocator of hypertension during adulthood.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension among adolescent girls and to study the correlation of hypertension with socio-economic status of the subjects.
Methods and Materials: In the present study, a total number of 1300 school going adolescent girls from the age group of 13-17 years were randomly selected for the study from Puttaparthi, Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh. A pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding anthropometric, socio-economic and blood pressure profile of the selected subjects. The data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software.
Results: In the present study, ÂÂÂÂÂthe overall prevalence rate of hypertension (SBP and DBP ≥95th Percentile) was observed to be 7.2 per cent. Further the pooled prevalence of Systolic and Diastolic hypertension were found to be 4.3 and 4.1 per cent respectively. Adolescents belonging to illiterate parents’ showed significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of hypertension. Mild physical activity and increased junk/fast food consumption pattern were found to be other significant (p<0.01) predictors of hypertension.
Conclusions: The findings of the present study can translate as adult hypertension in the near future and so an urgent necessity for improving their overall nutritional status by implementation of multi-sectorial community based programme such as nutrition education awareness.